Jake Laravia had an insightful conversation with JJ Reddick.
The Los Angeles Lakers have had a very strange offseason so far. After the unfortunate first round exit, the Lakers knew they had to deal with different parts of the roster.
The first step was to address the gap at the central position. To do this, the Lakers signed a $8 million contract with Deandre Ayton.
However, the Lakers were hit hard when they lost two-way wing Dorian Finney Smith, who had signed with Rocket.
To advance the sharp shot, the Lakers signed Jay Claravia in free agency. The forward is a younger, more athletic player with a similar profile to Finney-Smith.
But how did the discussions between the two sides progress when they first began discussion? Laravia revealed what his initial conversation with head coach JJ Redick was like.
Jake Laravia recently spoke with Lakers Nation about joining La Lakers. When discussing his initial conversation with the team, he made it clear that he has a bit of a fanboy moment.
Laravia revealed that he had spoken to head coach JJ Redick and repeatedly told him that he was watching him grow. In fact, Laravia is modeled after Redick and hopes that the coach will help him grow further.
“We were on the phone and when he first called me, I was like, ‘I was watching you, and it’s so cool that happens. I grew up watching you, and now you’re my coach.
“Even after seeing him back then, he is a movement shooter and you don’t see the archetype, the constant movement from the ball, the sharp shooter anymore.
“That’s how I haven’t fully developed into that shooter yet, so I think he can maximize the game he’s trying more per game because I have a lower volume than I am now.
Jake Laravia also revealed how Dorian Finney Smith’s departure proved to be the catalyst for his final signature with the Lakers.
“I would say it was pretty big, just because of the fact that it was similar finances. If he stayed, I don’t know what they had.
“As soon as there’s rumours that he’s going to leave, I thought, ‘The Lakers are where I can go and take over that role, and where I grow into a player who knows what I can do.”
Given the complex nature of the latest post-CBA NBA salary cap, the Lakers were unable to realistically create all their signatures while still retaining Finney Smith.
Losing Finney Smith to the rocket is a difficult blow to overcome. But if Laravia offers the highest possible level, then the Lakers front office won’t lose sleep at the exit.